Quest Academy grows on back of ‘unprecedented demand’

Celebrating the first anniversary of its world-class training academy, Quest Apartment Hotels has expanded its $7 million franchisee training program to meet “unprecedented demand”.

Since its October launch, Quest Academy, which delivers a mix of highly engaging and interactive training for new and experienced franchisees, has engaged more than 140 participants, with 17 new franchisees completing the six-week foundation training program.

The academy has also assisted in opening nine new Quest hotels and completed 11 settlements involving the sale of established Quest franchise businesses, with a further three scheduled.

Quest CEO, Zed Sanjana, said the organisation had recently expanded academy resourcing, including the appointment of a Director of Learning and two new specialist trainers to meet network demand.

“The success of the program has exceeded even our high expectations. It’s been wonderful to see first-hand how the program has provided such a solid foundation for new franchisees, and how itis being tailored to meet the needs of experienced Quest franchisees and staff as well,” he said.

More than 750 franchisees and key staff are expected to register to undertake at least one of the available training programs in the coming year.

Quest’s six-week foundation training program combines a mix of e-learning, systems training and hands-on learning at various Quest hotels, with franchisees learning all aspects of the business, from front desk duties to how to make beds and restock bathrooms. Further training programs are scheduled nationally in key geographic hubs to enhance accessibility.

Sanjana said the training academy was born from the success of the Quest brand, with a growing number of people from different backgrounds becoming franchisees.

“We have a lot more people joining Quest from outside the business now, including teachers, bankers, ex-defence force personnel andcoffee shop owners. The properties themselves are also getting bigger; once it would have been standard to have about 60 rooms, now it’s more likely to be 100 plus rooms,’’ he said.

“We created a bespoke comprehensive and supportive training program to ensure brand consistency and best practice is maintained for all guests regardless of the Quest location.”

Sanjana said the development of Quest Academy was a natural progression for the company and would transform the culture of Quest to become an industry leader in learning and development.

“Franchisees are the heart and soul of Quest, and the drivers of our continued success. We aim to provide all our franchisees and staff with the best tools and training to ensure their success and the continued growth of the business,” he said.